I was quite excited when I heard Mélange had opened off Tahlia Street (opposite Tujjar Jeddah), beside the large Capo Grillo. Not only was I pleased because Mélange is a venture by “B-Concept” — the people behind Sushi Yoshi, but also because a few months ago, I met the restaurant’s Portuguese chef who had affirmed that authentic Iberian dishes would be on the menu. This struck a chord as I have traveled extensively in Portugal and I am a big fan of the country’s cuisine.

However, it’s worth noting that the menu at Mélange is not exclusively Portuguese; in fact there are dishes from around the world which makes for an extensive menu. This is not an “eat and run” establishment; in fact describing it as fine dining would be more appropriate.

We dropped by at the start of the weekend and found the place pretty much deserted (understandable due to the soft opening).

It seems that no expense had been spared on the minimalistic but lush interior. Dark wood flooring, backlit wall panels, and contemporary dark furniture impressed. The domed pink ceiling lights cast a subtle glow through the restaurant, while a metal mashrabiya follows the air conditioner pipes across the ceiling, turning a usual eyesore into a bit of a gem.

Sitting down I immediately sank into the soft armchair, almost sofa like; Mélange has chosen well as a comfortable customer is one more likely to linger. That seems to be the intention, as it soon dawned on us that the area we had opted to sit in was surrounded by large and glowing — bohemian crystal shisha pipes.

These color changing and rotund pots were handmade in the Czech Republic — although to me they seemed more “Alice in Wonderland” than Prague; the only thing missing was the caterpillar! Customers are even given a remote to control the color of their pipe! As a non-smoker these provided little more than a visual aesthetic to our meal, but to the avid shisha smokers, I see these becoming a major draw to Mélange.

For the shisha haters, worry not, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that in addition to the family section upstairs, there is also a dedicated room for non-smokers, as well as two impressive balconies. The first is outdoors, furnished with chic lounge chairs for a “chill out” experience. The second is the polar opposite, an indoor outdoor experience, air conditioned, with (believe it or not!) a retractable roof should the room get too smoky!

Within moments of arriving we were approached by a waiter with an open bottle of Nestle’s very own Acqua Panna, and the pressure had begun! Not that I have anything against the water, but I prefer to choose the brand I drink, rather than have the most expensive option forced upon me. Unfortunately no alternative was available, so we opted for fresh lemonade.

As for the food, the menu had a good selection of appetizers, salads and main courses. The Iberian choices stood out, I was keen to try the Seafood Cataplana, but this was recommended for two, and as my dining partner was not keen on shellfish, he instead opted for the “Taif” cheese and spinach cannelloni, while I went for the monkfish and beef bacon grilled skewers.

We also chose a “Bakers Surprise” as an appetizer — a goat’s cheese, roasted tomato and almond puff pastry.

While the staff were very helpful, the waiter soon returned to inform me there was no monkfish available; however to be fair, they did offer to replace the monkfish with nagil, but I chose instead a 350g medium-rare chateaubriand.

First came a complimentary helping of toast and tzatziki which was smooth, thick and creamy, thumbs up for not being watered down. This was soon followed by a basket of freshly baked herb and olive breads, along with our fresh lemonade.

So good was the bread, not a single piece remained, and our appetizer had not yet arrived! But there was no rush, and the basket of carbs had left us satisfied for the time being.

The lemonade was cool and light, not overly sour or sweet, it was closer to a cordial or squash, and reminded me of lemon barley water. The “Bakers Surprise” appetizer soon followed; this puff pastry was similar to a baked sambousa, with an enjoyably sweet filling of goat’s cheese, tomato jam and almonds.

As for our main courses, these were impressive to say the least. My SR100, 350g chateaubriand lived up to its name and size; it is great to order a medium rare steak and actually get exactly that! This US certified Angus beef was smooth, buttery, and a real pleasure to eat. It was served with a grilled tomato, and a creamy peppercorn sauce which nicely complemented the meat.

The only real let down for me was the herb covered French fries, as unfortunately herbs were not the only topping. The fries were incredibly salty, to the point of almost being inedible, and as a result, I left most of them. As for my dining partner, he enjoyed the “Taif” cannelloni, so no complaints there.

Plates were cleared and it was not long before the dessert menu was out, it contained a mix of local and international options. I went for the trio crème brule, three flavors (chocolate, coffee and vanilla) served cool in particularly small dishes, a light way to end the meal. The chocolate was particularly memorable, so good in fact that were it available alone, I would simply order that and skip the coffee and vanilla.

All in all Mélange did a particularly good job at satisfying us, the chateaubriand is without doubt one of the best steaks I have had in Jeddah. As for the minor slips — the curious case of the missing monkfish — this can be forgiven as they are still in their soft opening. With regard to the service, the staff were helpful and always on hand. With such an extensive menu, I will certainly be back for more, and if the other mains are as good as what we had, I can see Mélange making a potentially big impression on the Jeddah dining scene.

Tel: 026995619

Opening Hours: 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and weekends from 1p.m. to 4 a.m.